UC IPM Makes It Happen
IPM advisor spreads water quality message
to growers
UC IPM Advisor Phil Phillips gave five IPM presentations on water quality
to nearly 350 growers.
Tree and vine growers attended a workshop in English in Goleta. Phil
presented two Spanish sessions that attracted strawberry, vegetable and
berry growers in Santa Maria, and two sessions in Summerland that drew
citrus, avocado, and nursery growers.
To date, more than 1,400 growers in the Central Coast have taken the
Water Quality Workgroup courses. Mary Bianchi, horticulture farm advisor
for San Luis Obispo County, under the auspices of the workgroup, leads
the workshops. Julie Fallon, farm water quality planning program representative,
coordinates the events.
 Tool helps determine pesticide impacts on water quality
When
spraying pesticides, many factors determine whether the chemicals stay
put or drift into our waterways. An addition to the UC IPM Web
site compares pesticide impacts on water quality and lets readers
readily
compare risks to water quality among all the pesticides recommended
in a UC IPM Pest Management Guideline for a specific crop and
pest.
The new database provides information on environmental risk of
pesticides. Use it to evaluate the potential for pesticides
to move with water
and eroded soil or organic matter, and to affect nontarget organisms.
It
can help farmers consider the risks of leaching and runoff in
making pest management decisions, particularly pesticide choice. From
a guideline, click on the "compare treatments" button
to see the display.
The potential risk of leaching and runoff may be affected by
the amount of pesticide used, the area covered, and how much
pesticide
comes in
contact with the soil. While the program presents information
for high-risk soils only, a user's input about these factors
can be
used to adjust
the risk ratings given by the program.
The potential risk of leaching and runoff may be affected
by soil type, the amount of pesticide used, the area covered,
how much
pesticide comes in contact with the soil, irrigation efficiency,
rainfall probability,
and residue management.
Although the program assesses hazard based on high-risk soil
only, a reader may modify all of the other factors to adjust
the risk
ratings.
The program is an implementation of the Windows Pesticide
Screening Tool (WIN-PST) developed by USDA-Natural Resources
Conservation
Service. Currently
it lacks information on risks assessed for specific soil
types, but efforts are under way to add that major feature.
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2005
Annual Report